Toyota will not be jumping on the direct-to-consumer sales model bandwagon any time soon, according to Patrick Ryan, Toyota’s Regional Manager for Quebec and Atlantic Canada in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. Ryan recently took the position as Regional Manager, and talked about his priorities in the coming year which focus on customer satisfaction, and the modernization of dealership technology and facilities as well. “Customer satisfaction, I think that’s key,” he said. “To help with that I will support our dealers in the technological transition that the industry will be experiencing, and support the modernization of the dealership facilities as well.”
Modernization for Toyota refers to equipment and processes, but also to education and skill sets for an increasingly electrified future. “I’m a true believer that our vehicles must be maintained and repaired by our dealers,” said Ryan. “Vehicles have more and more complex technology, and frankly I think that our technicians remain our best resources, as they are constantly updating their knowledge and skill with our training curriculum.”
The Toyota Prius was the vanguard of electrified vehicles, and hopping in a Prius taxi is probably the first experience in an electrified vehicle for many people. Toyota dealers have been selling hybrids for longer than almost any other brand, so they are experts, said Ryan. “As far as the new vehicle purchase is concerned, I fundamentally believe that such an important investment must be facilitated by competent and professional people in order to cover the needs of a customer and provide information. Our sales team knows every key aspect of the vehicle, from the structure, to the safety, and cybersecurity that we have in our vehicles.”
Ryan says that the leadership of Toyota recognizes that the dealership model is what has made them successful, so they are sticking with the networks of dealers they have built. “We’re grateful to have an extraordinary collaboration with our network, and this model allows us to have been crowned with success throughout the years. We owe it to that model,” said Ryan. “The dealers are the experts and they have specific expertise in their market and they know their community. They are involved, they are knowledgeable and well aware of their regional needs, challenges and opportunities and adapt their strategy to those different realities.”
The continuity of families in the dealer community is also something that Toyota appreciates. “Many of our dealerships have recently celebrated 40 years, 50 years this year. We see three, sometimes four generations of ownership in the same family. So we’re very proud to have the network that we have. It’s basically the Toyota way, it’s the brand-powered, it’s customer-centric, it’s dealer-delivered and it’s all about the dealer franchise model. The present and future will include our strong dealer network, that’s for sure.”
